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Welcome
to Bicycle Cleaning and Maintenance 101. The following steps are what I consider my
“weekly” and “monthly” cleaning or maintenance. Of course, how often you
clean your bike will depend upon how much mileage you put on your
bicycle.
The weekly clean-up represents perhaps 150 + miles of cycling per week.
If you are not covering that much mileage in a week, than you can
perform this maintenance once per month. Before I go on, let me say, you
do not need to purchase a bike stand. A bike stand will make things
easier, and I do suggest you consider the purchase if you plan on
sticking with this sport or at the very least, you continue cycling.
Some folks will use their stationary trainer when performing cleaning or
maintenance on their bikes.
** Steps 7 and 8 are part of my
“monthly” tune-up. I recommend this as a once a month performance
once a month, especially in the summer months.
IMPORTANT NOTE: I also suggest you put
on some old clothes and even some protective eyewear. When using the
toothbrush to scrub various parts, there will be some spray back of the
degreaser so protect your eyes.
Steps:
1.
Typical Areas for Cleaning
2. Supplies Needed
3. Cleaning the Chain
4. Cleaning the Wheels and Rear
Cassette/Freewheel
5. Rear and Front Derailleur
6. Brake Calipers and Pads
7. Cleaning the Crank System
8. Cleaning Exposed Cables
9. Cleaning the Seat Post
10. Cleaning the Handlebar Stem and
Headset
11. The Final Clean-up
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